Current Final

Tag: Pakistan

  • Peshawar: Blast on Warsak Road injures seven, including three children

    Peshawar: Blast on Warsak Road injures seven, including three children

    Update: A blast shook the buildings of Warsak Road early in the morning on Tuesday in Peshawar. At least seven people, including three children, were injured in the explosion as confirmed by the police and hospital sources, reports Geo News.


    The blast took place around 9:10 am on Tuesday.

    SSP Operations Kashif Aftab Abbasi said the Machnigate Police Station’s mobile vehicle was on routine patrol when the bomb exploded.

    “As soon as the police mobile passed by, the blast occurred three seconds later. The militants wanted to target the police vehicle,” he said, speaking with Geo News.

    The police official said no arrests have been made yet, but the involved network will be apprehended soon.

    Abbasi added that the CCTV footage of the explosion is being examined.


    The police have confirmed that the explosion was an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast.


    The official revealed that four kilogrammes of explosives, planted in a cemented block on the side of the road, were used in the blast. The area has been cordoned off while further investigation is under way, Warsak Superintendent of Police Arshad Khan said.


    “It would be premature to say who was the target,” SP Arshad Khan said speaking with journalists as reported by Geo.


    The injured were shifted to the Lady Reading Hospital where two children are said to be in critical condition. All of them are between seven to 10 years of age, the hospital’s spokesperson told Geo News.


    Rescue officials told Geo that the glass windows of two vehicles and nearby buildings were broken due to the intensity of the explosion.
    Mayor Metropolitan Zubair Ali told journalists that the explosion near a school was an attempt to disturb peace and order.


    “The explosion near educational institutions is unfortunate.”

    Pakistan has witnessed a considerable increase in terror activities in recent months, especially in KP and Balochistan, after the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan ended its ceasefire with the government in November last year.

    Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) in a report showed that the country experienced 34 per cent increase in anti-state violence last month, reported Dawn.

  • Driver arrested for running over pigeon

    Driver arrested for running over pigeon

    A Tokyo taxi driver was arrested for deliberately driving into a flock of pigeons and killing one, police said Tuesday, reportedly because he was angry that the birds were on the road.

    Atsushi Ozawa, 50, “used his car to kill a common pigeon, which is not a game animal”, in the Japanese capital last month, and was arrested on Sunday for violating wildlife protection laws, a Tokyo police spokesman told AFP.

    Ozawa sped off from a traffic light when it turned green, ploughing his taxi into the bevy of birds at a speed of 60 kilometres (37 miles) per hour, local media said.

    The sound of the engine reportedly prompted a surprised passer-by to report the incident.

    Tokyo police had a veterinarian perform a post-mortem on the hapless pigeon and determined its cause of death as traumatic shock, according to local media.

    “Roads belong to humans, so pigeons should have dodged out of the way,” Ozawa was quoted by local media as telling investigators.

    Police called his behaviour “highly malicious” for a professional driver, before deciding to go ahead with the arrest, broadcaster Fuji TV said.

    “Wow, can you get arrested for running over a pigeon?”, one user wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

    “He could’ve just honked his car horn or something. But intentionally killing it? That’s crossing the line,” another posted.

  • PEMRA nay laga dee TV channels pay aik aur pabandi

    PEMRA nay laga dee TV channels pay aik aur pabandi

    Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has barred television channels from airing anything that casts doubt on the electoral process.

    The notification, issued on November 3, states, “All the satellite TV channel licensees were directed vide this office directives dated 3* November, 2023 to strictly comply with the PEMRA’s Code of Conduct 2015 and ensure that no speculative, doubtful and false information/content with reference to electoral process or conduct of General Elections is aired, broadcasted or televised in any manner, whatsoever, which may subsequently hamper smooth conduct of the General Elections 2024.”

    It further says that all the licensees, while airing their transmission before General Elections 2024, must be mindful of the fact that no such content/discussion / comment is aired which may create doubts or an impression in the minds of the public about the polls or may sabotage elections through any negative/false news, information or report aired on any satellite TV channel, inadvertently.

    Anchor Person Mohammad Malick took to X (former Twitter) and wrote, “Has Pemra gone absolutely bonkers? media barred from even discussing the possibility of flawed election process by EC. All media outlets & journo orgs must outrightly reject this ridiculous ‘unholy commandment’. this is brazen censorship and must be resisted.”

    Secretary General South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA) Imtiaz Alam said, “Indeed, Election Commission of Pakistan should be respected, but it must earn respect by ensuring even-playing field fo all and transparently conducting electoral process. However, PEMRA order must be rejected. Media must critically evaluate the conduct of elections and ECP.”

  • Sindh government allots 52,000 acres for corporate farming, Geo reports

    Sindh government allots 52,000 acres for corporate farming, Geo reports

    The interim Sindh government has alloted 52,000 acres of state land for corporate cultural farming, disclose official documents.

    As per a report filed by Geo’s Benazir Shah and Rasheed Memon, the caretaker government of Sindh gave ultimate approval last week to allot 52,713 acres of state land for the project, out of which 28,000 acres will be rendered in Khairpur, 10,000 in Mithi, 9,305 in Dadu, 3,408 in Sujawal, 1,000 acres in Thatta, and 1,000 in Badin.

    The land is being allotted under the authority of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC). SIFC is a top military body that was established in June this year to attract foreign investment in the country.

    According to state documents seen by Geo.tv, earlier this year, the chief secretary of Sindh issued a directive to the provincial Land Utilisation Department and the Board of Revenue to explain the availability of land in the province.

    The documents even recommend that the land be leased out to the Pakistani army, insisting that the latter had “well-trained manpower” for the job.

    The minutes of a cabinet meeting in Sindh on December 1st imply that the interim government in Sindh is considering leasing state-owned land to a private company affiliated with the Pakistan military.

    The agenda read: “…approval of a joint venture agreement for the corporate agro-farming initiative in Sindh between the Land Utilization Department and Green Corporate Initiative Pvt Ltd”.

  • Newsflash Pakistanis, Hania Amir and Badshah can be friends without dating

    Newsflash Pakistanis, Hania Amir and Badshah can be friends without dating

    Hania Amir is going viral on the internet for a very, very weird reason. The actress shared pictures of her trip to Dubai where she went around with Indian rapper Badshah, including dining together in a restaurant. Indian media outlets quickly assumed the two were dating. Because lo and behold, if you’re seen sitting next to a man, you have to be romantically linked with him.

    We have to question our media: why in this day and age are y’all still resorting to such sexist thinking? Can Hania actually spend time with a male friend without dating him? Men and women can remain friends, and its clear from their past interaction that the two respect each other.

    Rather than trying to fuel rumors to get more traffic on your websites, can we instead celebrate that despite political and cricket rivalries, here are two public figures from Pakistan and India who keep uplifting each other publicly?

    Also, Hania Amir doesn’t need to be linked to another man in order to be recognised publicly. Her projects have gotten immense praise, and she continues to remain booked and busy, so stop trying to assume she has to be dating someone just to get some attention. Insinuating such a thing is deeply demoralising, and proves how women can never be recognised for their achievements alone.

    We’re not going to be paying any heed to careless rumours, but instead we’ll be celebrating the wholesome friendship between Hania and Badshah. In January, Badshah gushed about the ‘Mere Humsafar’ actress by calling her an instant mood lifter during an Instagram live.

    READ MORE: Cross-border affection between Bollywood singer Badshah and Pakistani actress Hania Amir is too wholesome to ignore

    “Yes I follow her she’s a very funny person. My mood uplifts every time I see her posts, and I think its also just her personality. I think she’s a very bright human being,” responded the rapper.

  • Manzoor Pashteen to be exiled from Balochistan to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa following arrest

    Manzoor Pashteen to be exiled from Balochistan to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa following arrest

    Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) chief Manzoor Pashteen was arrested by the police in Chaman, Balochistan on Monday. Consequently, the Interior Ministry has decided to shift him to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. With this, Pashteen has been banned from Balochistan, Caretaker Information Minister Balochistan Jan Achakzai has said.


    Pashteen was arrested yesterday from Chaman when he was going to speak to a massive sit-in, protesting against the alleged murder of a Baloch student at the hands of the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), in Turbat.

    The Deputy Commissioner of Chaman has claimed that Pashteen was arrested after armed men from his vehicle allegedly opened fire at a police vehicle. PTM leaders have accused law enforcement officers of initiating the gunfire, saying that Pashteen emerged unharmed from the shooting incident. In a video released by PTM on Youtube, member central committee Haji Abdul Samad Khan can be seen relating the incident where people inside their vehicle were also injured, including a woman.


    Jan Achakzai stated that Pashteen had addressed the Chaman sit-in without the approval of the administration, referring to PTM as “an anti-state organisation”, reports Express Tribune.

    He also stated that an FIR had been lodged against Pashteen by police in Chaman, noting that four people were injured as the PTM chief’s guards opened fire on them.

    Renowned Journalist Azaz Syed criticised the arrest as a move against the freedom of speech.


    Fellow PTM leader Ali Wazir reasserted his determination to the cause they stand for in face of the oppression of the state.


    Salma Khan, member of the PTM, called out the state for using disruptive tactics to create chaos.

    v


    Anchor and Journalist Sanna Ejaz condemned the attack and arrest.

  • Kiran Ashfaque shuts down troll who tried to shame her for second marriage

    Kiran Ashfaque shuts down troll who tried to shame her for second marriage

    Actress and social media influencer Kiran Ashfaque made headlines yesterday when pictures of her marriage to PPP official Hamza Asim Chaudhary went viral on social media. Previously, Kiran was married to actor Imran Ashraf and divorced him after four years of marriage.

    The actress was not here for the cynics shaming her for finding love for the second time. Kiran responded to a troll who accused her of marrying soon after getting divorced:

    “You mean I should have kept residing at my parents and remained depressed about my life while my parents were worried about me?”

    Kiran’s marriage to Hamza was held in his residence in Lahore which was attended by family and friends. The actress had shared pictures from the event on her social media.

    The actress had previously done a Q and A on her Instagram where she revealed her previous marriage broke up because of how much her ex urged her to change herself.

    READ MORE: Kiran Ashfaque talks about her divorce with Imran Ashraf in a Q&A session on Instagram

    Responds to a fan asking why they divorced because the couple had looked happy, Kiran had responded: “Not all that glitters is gold.”

    Another answer got praises where Kiran urged her followers to never change themselves for another man, and to remain proud of how bold they are.

    We’re still shocked that to this day, women are facing more scrutiny for choosing to break off unhappy marriages. Why should Kiran have to keep justifying her choices, and have to fight off the label of ‘Imran Ashraf’s ex-wife’? It’s gross and absolutely not acceptable, and we send our sincerest regards to Kiran for living rent free in the minds of haters while doing whatever she loves.

  • ARY News ordered to issue apology to Asma Shirazi

    ARY News ordered to issue apology to Asma Shirazi

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has directed ARY News to apologise and pay Rs50,000 in damages to senior journalist Asma Shirazi for misreporting against her.

    Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani of the IHC issued a verdict on Shirazi’s appeal against the December 21, 2022, verdict of the Pakistan Media Regulatory Authority’s (Pemra) Council of Complaints.

    “The court is of the view that editorial side and the airing committee of the licensee/respondent No.3 [the TV channel] is not vigilant enough that picture of the appellant was wrongly placed along with the news content, when she has nothing to do with that particular news item on aired by respondent No.3 […],” the verdict stated.

    “The facts were deliberately concocted to make the viewers’ believe that the appellant’s journalism was criticised during the [SC] proceedings,” the journalist had contended in her appeal against the TV channel.

    Shirazi said that Pemra rejected her complaint against the TV channel as non-maintainable, stating that “no legal point had been made by the complainant in the instant matter as a proper forum for defamation was available” to her.

    The IHC, in its decision, said that TV channels are obligated by Pemra laws to disseminate news and reports in an accurate manner.

    It is also mentioned in the decision that a senior journalist has a right to damages; however, it is not the duty of the court to determine the extent of damages when there is no information available on record.

    It also stated that Shirazi still has the right to approach the competent court to seek damages under defamation law.

  • More than 250,000 illegal Afghan citizens have returned to their homeland

    More than 250,000 illegal Afghan citizens have returned to their homeland

    The process of repatriating undocumented Afghan citizens to Afghanistan is underway across Pakistan.

    So far, two lacs 55 thousand and 29 illegal residents have returned from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Afghanistan.

    According to the Interior Department, a total of 250, 814 immigrants have gone back to Afghanistan via Torkham, while 3,516 people have returned to their homeland through Angoot Ada border and 698 people have returned to their homeland from Kharlachi border.

    According to the data of the Immigration Department, 255,029 immigrants from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have returned to Afghanistan.

  • Awaam ka paisa artificial rain mein zaaya karne ki ijazat nahi dein ge, says Lahore High Court

    Awaam ka paisa artificial rain mein zaaya karne ki ijazat nahi dein ge, says Lahore High Court

    In today’s review of smog prevention in Lahore, Justice Shahid Kareem ordered that smoke-emitting factories be fined Rs10 lac each. Along with that he also warned the Punjab Government to not waste public money on any useless pursuit like artificial rain.


    The Director General Meteorological Department was present in the court to inform the judge that some of the sealed factories had opened themselves. Member water commission informed the court that such factories are working at night and the officers of the meteorological department are paid to stay silent on this. This prompted the court to issue a warning against these officers, reports Geo.


    The court ordered to fine domestic users Rs10,000 for wasting water and Rs20,000 thousand to commercial users for the same.


    The court also inquired about artificial rain and when it will materialize. The public prosecutor replied that the process is underway. The court admonished the government that public money should not get wasted in this pursuit.


    The court adjourned the hearing till December 8.

    As Lahore battles with hazardous levels of smog, Punjab has been planning artificial rain to dispel toxic pollution. The Punjab government has planned to carry out cloud seeding in Lahore to cause artificial rain, estimated to cost a whopping Rs 350 million. This was expected to happen in December.